


Jacob's Ladder

by Ahro



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Alternate Universe - Navy, Alternate Universe - Pirate, Angst, Drama, Explicit Language, Explicit Sexual Content, Humor, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-08-14
Updated: 2012-08-13
Packaged: 2017-11-12 02:46:34
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,971
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/485809
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ahro/pseuds/Ahro
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When a freak storm off the coast of Florida swallows up Captain Alfred and his crew aboard the USCGC Adams, the last thing Alfred expects to wake up to is a beautiful afternoon while facin down the cannons of a pirate ship. USCG!Alfred&Pirate!Arthur Yaoi</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

It wasn't uncommon for me to wake up feeling like I had taken a sledgehammer to the side of my head. Neither was plying my sweaty face off of the cold metal deck of my ship. Many nights were spent out at sea, and I couldn't begrudge my men for having a few rounds after a long shift. Of course I would drink them all under the table after a few rounds of poker, but I rarely woke to finding myself still at my station on the bridge. Back in my cabin, or maybe even a few times in the crews quarters if the booze was on the strong side, but never at my post, on duty, and in the thick of a sudden hurricane.

It had been a freak of nature. The storm was massive. Read outs spewed from the consoles as men shouted back and forth at one another. I had heard winds up to 165mph, and swells topping 80 feet in the air. A category 5 hurricane had brewed off the straits of Florida, and it was in the middle of March. Well out of hurricane season, and completely unnatural.

I knew that right before I had lost consciousness, the entire ship had gone black. Nothing but the flashes of lightning, crash of thunder, and the panicked cries of my crew filled the air around me. I know the last thing I had seen was a lightning strike light up the bow, and electricity spiking back and forth across two steel cables of rigging that connected to the mast and communication tower above the bridge. It was a sight to see. The light, dancing a surprisingly slow dance as it moved between the two cables. Upon it's disappearance was when it all went dark.

Now, however, the last thing I had expected to wake up to was the warmth of the bright sun on my face as it streamed in through the windows surrounding the bridge. While the sound of gulls calling out in the wind carried to my ears. I craned my neck slowly up to see large puffy clouds being gently pushed across a crystal blue sky, dotting out the sun at different intervals. In one of these instances, my eyes had begun to focus some until I realized it wouldn't grow much clearer without the use of my glasses.

Finally picking myself up, head spinning as I found my feet under me, I was able to locate my glasses not far from where I had fallen. Once they were replaced I then was able to take in the horror that surrounded me.

My men... were all unconscious.

I scrambled to each of them, shaking each in turn, checking for a pulse, listening for a heart beat, the inhale and exhale of breathing. They were all fine, except none would wake. It was then to the comm station where I tried to radio for help but I couldn't even make it that far as nothing was on. Not a single light, meter, or dial reacted to anything I tried. My ship was dead in the water, and my crew was unconscious around me.

Taking my cap off, and running my hands through my blond hair, I leaned on the consoles before me and stared out into the endless sea. It made no sense. None of it did. The calmness, yet turmoil that I felt was the same that time when I was a young man, caught out at sea with my father. We had been slow in returning to port, and we were overtaken by a smaller hurricane. The experience was horrific on a small fishing vessel. Waves easily crashing over the sides of the ship. Wind pushing us every which way. It wasn't until it suddenly quieted that we knew we had found the eye of the storm. Serenity surrounded by chaos.

That was the only explanation I could come up with to try and explain away my current predicament. Hurricanes had a foreseeable path. They took time to build up momentum to turn into the devastating power that they held. A category 5 of that strength did not just appear out of nowhere. However, now that I had lived through the ordeal, and if this was the eye of that storm, the walls of the eye should have been visible on the horizon. I went for a pair of binoculars, thinking perhaps the circumference of this eye was just so massive that I couldn't see it without aide. Apparently I wasn't going to be that lucky in explaining away the strangeness as there wasn't a darkened cloud in sight.

Removing the binoculars, I then noticed a satellite phone on the wall I never had the need to use before, and quickly ran to pick up the receiver. To my surprise there was static coming through and I clutched at it in fear if I let go that sound would be gone. I punched in the number to any other US Coast Guard vessels that had been reported in the area, but there was no response save for the continued static that the ear piece emitted.

I cursed under my breath as I hung the phone back on the wall. The sound of static had been some sort of reassurance that the battery still worked. Now it was a matter of getting to the generators to see what had happened. I wasn't a doctor, so all I could hope for was that the remainder of my crew was better off than the few on the bridge.

I finally turned to leave the bridge only to be immediately stopped dead in my tracks.

Just off the starboard side, a direction I had declined in observing previously, was a pair of tall, wooden masts, with great, white canvas sails puffed outwards by the wind ever so slightly coming towards me. Above the crows nest, a familiar sight I recognized easily from movies and fiction was the skull and crossbones of the Jolly Roger.

"A pirate ship?" I questioned no one but myself, as if saying the absurdity out loud would make it sound less bizarre. "Is this some movie set?" Tall ships- such as the one that was now brave enough to be coming within 1,000 feet of my own Legend Class Cutter, were unheard of being out this far in the ocean. Tall ships just did not sail this far. They were historical, preserved for generations, and only left where they berthed to be turned for maintenance. This one, however, appeared almost new compared to the ones I had seen. The famous Constitution docked in my home of Boston came to mind immediately. It always had a new coat of paint along it's sides but it still held that weathered and ancient feel.

I quickly reached for the binoculars once again to peer out at this magnificent piece of 18th century construction. I quickly ghosted along the deck, catching my breath in excitement seeing men running to and fro, dressed in the traditional garb that the pirates wore in my favorite old movies. Perhaps the storm had drifted us farther south to where a film was being shot. Standing up straight, I looked down to the men still sleeping at my feet. That was unexplainable though. I then quickly realized the predicament my crew was still facing, and ran out the door to head down to the deck. I could attempt to contact these men and they could radio for help. Surely a storm so large had been noticed and forcasted by the NHC.

Reaching the deck, I had come across more men who were in the same predicament as the men I left on the bridge. No one seemed outwardly injured or in any sort of distress. They all were just sleeping, yet could not be aroused. I couldn't make any sense of it so chose to contact the "pirates" anyways.

Moving to the starboard side, I then lifted the binoculars back to look over the old/new ship to see if I could grab someone's attention. One man aboard a 378 foot vessel could be easily missed. "Hey! HELLO!" _I should have grabbed a megaphone before coming down here. I look like an idiot._

The ship began to come closer as it turned to bring it's port side up along side my ship. It was still well enough a ways, and I couldn't help but be impressed by this team's maneuvering ability. The craftsmanship was astounding too. I had to admit, my curiosity was peeked as to what movie this was all for. The company had to have a huge budget to actually make a tall ship rather than use CGI. Maybe Disney was making a new Pirates movie?

_Oh! Maybe I'll have a chance to be an extra!_

"Hello! Can you hear me? I am Captain Alfred F. Jones of the United States Coast Guard Cutter Adams! I'm afraid that storm has- HOLY SHIT!" I held onto the railing for dear life as I watched a single cannon along the tall ship's side fire with a massive puff of smoke, followed by a resounding thrum, and a large splash. After the vibrations running through the railing ended, I bent over the rail to see the cannonball had made a massive dent in the hull, and had rolled backwards into the water.

"HEY! WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING! This is a United States Armed National Security Cutter! Do you have any idea the amount of damage you just caused?" I couldn't believe that that ship had actually fired, and fired a cannonball of all things, at my ship! Looking back through my binoculars, I noticed the men arranged around another cannon were readying for another shot.

"Are you all fucking insane! I have missiles and torpedoes on this ship! One shot and your ship is destroyed!" _What is wrong with these people? I can't believe they actually fired at me, and with a fucking cannonball... honestly, that is kinda cool._

"Hold Fire!"

A voice rang out across the water as I quickly returned the binoculars to my eyes. Scowering over the deck, the man who had to be the captain came into view. He wore a white shirt, tucked into black trousers that billowed out around knee high black buckled boots. At his neck was a flowing white cravat. While an elegantly long red coat flew out around him in the wind, golden accents decorated it at the lapels and cuffs. It dazzled in the sun with it's assorted gold bangles and buttons that ran along the front. Gold fringed epaulettes adorned his shoulders, and the classic black pirates hat with flowing white, red, and gold feathers spilled from the back over his shoulder. Clinging to his hip by a brown leather belt that ran across his chest and around his waist was a finely crafted sword in it's sheath. A beautifully decorated pommel and guard caught the sun brilliantly while in his gloved hand he clutched a classic 18th century flintlock.

_I can't WAIT to see this movie!_

I held my breath as I watched the man walk across the deck, all eyes staring at him to see what his next move would be. He then climbed up to the stern as it was currently the closest point nearest my vessel. For a moment, I had a fleeting instinct to reach for the pistol at my side. The "pirate captain" was carrying a weapon after all, and had fired already. Who said the flintlock, clutched in his black gloved hand wasn't loaded with a musket ball as well. The weapon was well beyond range though if the man did try to fire. If it was for any reason a real pirate ship (some country feeling nostalgic perhaps?) and they felt like attacking a United States armed vessel, why do so with outdated weaponry?

_Unless this was a distraction from the real threat. Could we be under some sort of chemical terrorist attack? My men are all unconscious, but why would I be the only one awake?_

"You are trespassing on English waters! Explain exactly what you and this-" the pirate captain paused as he waved his hand out to gesture at the cutter. "-ship, are doing here? Where do you hail from?"

I couldn't help but laugh. Was this a joke?

"Quite the performance there, captain! Are you suppose to be aboard the _Black Pearl_? You need black sails if you want to dress her up like that one."

The pirate captain seemed to grow irritated by my words, if a little confused. He didn't seem to want to bother any further with me as he then turned to his crew. "All hands prepare for boarding!"

"WHAT?" Now I was ready for action. I had not anticipated anyone to try and board my cutter.

I reached frantically for my .45 at my hip, checked that it was loaded, and aimed it at the supposed captain's head. Pulling back the hammer with a reassured click, I placed the joking aside now and took on my usual authoritative tone.

"I will please ask you to recall that order! Your ship should not even be within 2,000 yards of this vessel! If you are the Captain of this here-" I had to fumble over the word, as bizarre as it was saying it in a serious context, "pirate... ship, then I ask to speak with you and you alone aboard my vessel. You must account for the damage you have caused by your previous unprovoked display before other measures can be addressed."

This seemed to catch the captain's interest as he turned and looked back up at me. I could see the sun shine off of a toothy grin, his hand reaching up to his hat, "I do apologize, Captain." With a flourish, he removed his hat and bowed low, his golden hair catching the light of the sun as he did. "What I have done is under direct orders from his majesty King George III." He stood back up. "If you have any strife against the British Empire, I suggest you put away your weapon and come quietly."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. King George III? British Empire? This had to be a joke, or was the camera crew somewhere rolling this for some good bonus footage for the DVD release?

 _Well if it's a show they want, they can have it._ I lifted my .45 in the air and pulled the trigger.

I lifted my .45 and pulled the-

_What the fuck?_

"Is there something wrong, Captain?"

 _Yes, something is wrong, my damn gun won't fire!_ I quickly spun out the barrel to check to see if something was lodged somewhere. The barrel was clean. There wasn't a thing wrong with the gun! So why wouldn't the piece of shit fire?

I quickly looked back down at the Captain as he continued to stare up at me. Did he know something about the weapons on the ship? Did they use some other sort of chemical agent that had messed with the weaponry? Perhaps hacked all the computer terminals as well? What kind of terrorist group was this?

Fear must have been laced through my expression as the pirate captain turned and with another elegant flourish of his hat, re-issued his crew to carry on.

I must have been standing there completely oblivious, just watching the man as he disappeared into his cabin. Even the thud of grappling hooks clinking around the metal rails couldn't move me. It wasn't until a hand was around my mouth and a dagger at my neck that I woke up at all.

"I suggest ye come quietly. The cap'n doesn't appreciate his catch bein' too frisky now."

I was powerless. Men swarmed around me, armed to the teeth with daggers and curved sabers. I had nothing but my own fists, and I could already tell these thugs wouldn't give me a fair fight. It would be smarter if I remained at the top of my game than be injured on account of pride.

With a slight nod, as the edge of the dagger was already practically cutting into my skin, I felt my hands quickly strung up behind my back and tied with course rope. I was then quickly released by the one pirate and a sword tip replaced him.

"Move along then, pretty boy." The threat was followed by laughter and all I could do was hold my head high, and approach the boarding planks that had been erected in record time.

_They never trained us for anything like this. How on Earth am I going to get out of this mess? Fuck, I can only hope this will all be a joke, and the director will be in that cabin laughing his head off at the whole thing. God knows I'm not paying for that massive dent in my ship._

* * *

Rather than be brought to the captain's cabin, as I had assumed I was being taken to, I was unceremoniously dragged down to the hold. My arms were bound to a piling in the middle of a single cell, and I was left there. Just. Left there. To stare around at the weathered wood of the hull, dripping wet boards above my head, slimy boards below, rusted bars, and the occasional rat that scurried around for morsels of scrap.

"This is not the way you treat a United States Coast Guard officer! You will be facing multiple charges for this!" I yelled to anyone who could possibly hear me.

Heavy footfalls ran back and forth across the deck above as I strained to see through the cracks in the boards. Words were then whispered directly above my head, only irritating me further that they would purposefully stand so close to mock my position. _I have a crew of eighty strong men, all probably unconscious, and needing medical attention that I was unable to provide. If this really is a movie set, which I'm beginning to believe is not, they're conducting a pretty fucked up joke._

I sudden salty breeze cut through the hold towards me as a door was opened. Heavy foot falls complete with buckles and chains clinking together came to my ears as I strained around a wall of crates to see who had arrived.

It felt like it really was something out of a movie. There was the first glimpse of a polished boot, followed by a sweep of a heavy red velvet coat, and a bowed head rose up after having needed to duck slightly between the ship's overhangs. The captain of the pirate ship was-"

"Arthur?"

"Tsk, that is Captain Arthur Kirkland of the great ship Spades, to you."

No way. No, fucking way! Arthur... HIS ARTHUR! The man he was married to back in Massachusetts, the man who had placed the ring on his left hand six years ago, was _not_ standing in front of him, dressed in full pirate gear, threatening him with the name of Captain of some pirate ship! This had to just be a dream. Was I drinking last night? What was my hand? I swear I had placed a full-house...

"Excuse me." The man's voice was sharp and angry. Seeing him and hearing him closer than the expanse between their two ships had me feeling I had traveled back home over night. His voice was the same. His posture was the same. Even those thick eyebrows were the exact same as my Arthur's back home.

"Okay, Captain Arthur," I drawled for added emphasis. "You've put on a stunning performance. I never knew you had been practicing acting, but the charade is over now. I have a damaged hull I need to report about, and I don't see it going over well back at the Pentagon."

The cell door had been swung open so quickly I hadn't even had the chance to catch my breath. A dagger was already poised at my throat, while my hair was grabbed and yanked backwards to expose even more of it to it's edge. I swallowed, feeling my Adam's apple brush against the blade as I did. This, Captain Arthur, moved in closer to my neck, his warm breath danced along my skin sending a shiver down my spine. He seemed to have noticed this as I saw a gleam in the man's eye as he pulled back some to look at me. A wicked grin was spread out on his face as his eyes caught mine in their depths.

"You seem to enjoy this sort of attention. How peculiar indeed." I then felt the man move back to my neck only this time a little higher to lick at my earlobe before he took it into his mouth. A hiss escaped my lips as my eyes began to roll. _God, I'm reacting like some horny teenager. Granted I haven't seen Arthur in six months but-_

"Ow!" I jerked my head away, quickly regretting it though as the blade cut lightly into my skin. A laugh echoed from this Arthur as he pulled back, licking his lips as he did.

_This motherfucker just bit me, and HARD, too!_

"Who gives you the right too-"

" _I_ give myself the right." He sneered at me. Eyes alight with a fire I had never seen in such a familiar face. "Now then- to business." Arthur then flayed out his long jacket and took a seat on one of the large crates. He was now situated higher than me, and seemed to delight in his advantage. His gloved hand went up to his chin to allow his head a perch, while he rested his elbow on his knee that pushed up against the heavy crate below him. His other arm he swung forward, leaning bent over some in a casual manner.

"The only business I have with you is about the damage you did to me ship!"

"All in good time. First, though, I would love to know how that ship came to be in the first place. A metal ship that floats, and at such a massive scale. You say you berth in the colonies. I know for a fact they do not have the capabilities to create such a thing."

"Colonies? The United States won it's freedom in 1783. That was-" I did the math quickly in my head, "two-hundred and thirty-two years ago. America is well established now, and with a massive army that whomever you report to best watch out after attacking one of our ships."

Whatever I said seemed to peek his interested as he leaned in further, "Two-hundred and thirty-two years you say? I quite remember the signing of the Treaty of Paris. It's still fresh in peoples minds. After all, it was only signed thirty years ago."

"Th-thirty years?"

The captain nodded.

_How can this be possible? Are they still just acting?_

"That's very funny, Arthur. Okay, you got me. I'm not playing along with this game anymore. Your camera crew can come out now."

"Haha, a game you say? Oh I assure you this is no game, and I quite admire that lovely vessel you arrived in." The pirate captain then slipped off the crate, and moved past me to look out through one of the port holes, trying to take in the girth of my ship. It's white hull, gleamed against the tropical waters casting reflections inside the cell, reminding me that it was still very much there. "Those long pipes pointing outwards from the deck. They appear to be some kind of cannon," he leaned backwards, eyes roaming over my body. I felt my face flush at the obvious approval that he seemed to gather from my appearance. His gaze held a hunger that I had never seen in those familiar green eyes before.

It scared me.

"As for your uniform, I would wager you are a military man as you claim. A fellow captain for certain. Perhaps, I don't need to treat you in such a manner." A wave of his hand and two pirates can rushing into the cell. One grabbed my arms that were wrapped around the pole while another sliced through the rope, quickly releasing my wrists free of the chaffing material. "Release his arms."

A grunt came from the one pirate who held tightly to my arms still, but followed the command reluctantly.

I was thankful for that, and quickly nursed my wrists, standing up straight as I did.

"Now listen here-"

The sword point was at my chest in a second. I hadn't even realized the man had unsheathed it at all. This whole ordeal had really thrown me off guard.

"You are still my prisoner. From what I gathered aboard your ship you seem to be having some problems. Being completely unarmed the most prominent example."

"Oh- I'm far from unarmed, sir." My temper was beginning to flare as I clenched my fists at my sides. This man may have looked like my Arthur, sounded like him and shared a few of the same mannerisms, but he was far from the Arthur I vowed to share my life with.

"Your person is unarmed, but your vessel is not. Don't you worry, my men are already seeing to extracting whatever weapons your ship contains."

"That is highly classified technology! You can not do this! You're British, we're allies!"

This seemed to interest the captain as he turned back around after having turned to exit the cell.

"Allies, you say? I don't know what time you are referring to in which we are allies, but I assure you, Captain, we are at war as we speak!"

I couldn't believe it. I just couldn't. The Special Relationship between the United Kingdom and the United States was still as strong as ever in 2015. The year my USCGC Adams was finished and put under my command. There had been no animosity, only prosperity after the global recession had been repaired. None of this makes any sense. "War? But when- how?"

Arthur came back into the cell, sizing up against me as he did. He stood just a few inches shorter than me, even the same height as my Arthur, but that glare was not his. That glare that held such pain and anger, something I thought I would never see in those green eyes. All of it being aimed at myself. For a fleeting moment, I wanted to reach towards him. Take him by the arms, and wrap myself into his warm embrace. To rid that awful expression from his fine features, never to see it again.

But this wasn't him. This wasn't my Arthur. This was someone else, and as odd as it sounded, someone of a different time altogether.

"It was your people after all." He started, and then I knew. Knew exactly the words he would speak next. "It was your James Madison who declared war on us in 1812."


	2. Chapter 2

1812\. 18 FUCKING-12! There was no way. Just no way that I had somehow traveled back in time to land smack into the middle of a war. Not only that, but fall in the hands of a pirate captain siding with the British.

"Your stunned silence tells me time travel isn't a common practice in the future." That toothy grin mocked me as I stood there, completely immobile by the startling news.

 _I just became the supplier that will completely alter time itself.  
_  
"Would you stop gawking like a fish out of water and follow along?" A push at my back brought me to my senses. "We have much to discuss. I would make it easier for myself and just off you now, but I'm afraid neither my men nor myself have the slightest inkling of what to do with what's on your ship."

So, he was going to keep me alive. Unfortunately for him I'm not pressured so easily. "Heh, and you think I'm going to willingly give you information that will upset history? That ship is a weapon!" I gesticulated madly out a small porthole to the massive white hull that sat calmly in the water. "Nothing good will come from a pirate of the 19th century to have a weapon from the 21st century! You think you can sell anything off of that? No one will know what any of it does, let alone what it is!"

"I didn't expect you would give in willingly."

The gleam in the pirate's green eyes were haunting and sent a shiver down my spine. It was difficult even looking at him while trying to ignore the fact that he was identical to my Arthur who was now in the future. I couldn't even bring myself to hurt the man as, for all I knew, my Arthur was a reincarnation of this Arthur. If I killed this man...

"So you'll torture me."

"We have our ways."

I laughed, "Well I hope you have some way of prying it from the dead."

The captain smirked a knowing smile as he remained quiet, and turned to head back up the small staircase to the deck above.

I felt the hair bristle on the back of my neck, fists clenching at my sides. I was literally stumped on what to do. How was I suppose to get back to my time? Let alone get back my entire ship and crew. _Destroying the cutter is my best choice right now to keep it out of this century's hands. I can find a way to live in this time if it means saving the future. But- dammit, I'm not the only one stuck here!_

A shove at my shoulder got me to swing around to glare at one of the offending pirates that still remained in the hold with me. "Hey- get movin'! We have a lot of work to do on that pretty ship o'yours."

"What work?"

The other pirate hissed a laugh through his missing teeth, "You'll see."

Cringing, I turned back to the staircase and headed back up into the bright afternoon sun. I suddenly wished this really was just the eye of a storm.

After my eyes had adjusted to the light, I noticed the captain had moved over to observe- observe my EQUIPMENT BEIN' MAN HANDLED!

"HEY! WATCH IT WITH THAT!" I was sprinting now towards the make-shift boarding planks. Two pirates were carrying a massive torpedo between the two of them (what perfect timing to have confiscated such weaponry a few days prior). If they dropped it I wouldn't have much left to worry about.

"Restrain him!" The order was barked, and I quickly had three pirates at me, grabbing my arms, and around my torso.

"Are you mad! Your men drop that and we're all dead!"

The captain seemed to pause at this, looking back to where the two pirates now stood waiting for orders on the boarding plank, hovering over the Atlantic waters below their feet.

"I never gave you the order to stop."

"WHAT?"

At the captain's command, the two pirates continued their steep descent to the pirate ship's own deck. By this point, I thought my hair had all fallen out.

"I have unconscious men aboard my ship! I am responsible for their safety! They have families I will get them back to! You can not just pick anything up off my ship and haul it around! That thing will explode!"

The pirate captain continued to stare at me unamused while his men worked around him. His posture was completely relaxed, as if none of the goings on fazed him in the slightest. Didn't this man even care that he had stumbled on something that could change all of history? Or destroy it.

"Hello! Earth to Captain Kirkland! Explode! Do you hear me?" _Oh- fuck no he did not just give me that look!_ "Look- pal, I could care less about my safety, or your crews, but my crew is important to me and right now-"

"C-CAP'N!"

The accent was not one I would have responded to, but the total distress and confusion to the voice was enough of an excuse for me to look over quickly. However, I was far from prepared to see the two pirates who _had_ been carrying the torpedo, suddenly _not_ holding said torpedo.

"Oh shit- they dropped it!"

I now felt like I was floating out of body while the pirate captain walked over to the two men who now stood completely bewildered and scratching their heads.

"Rather than shouting obscenities, Captain Jones, you might have noticed my men did nothing of the sort."

_That's it. It's all over._

"Captain."

_I didn't even have a chance to figure out how this all happened. All those men. Lives lost. Families destroyed._

"Captain Jones."

_Arthur will never know what happened to me._

"ALFRED!"

"Arthur?"

"Yes, Captain Arthur, and no one is dead. That... thing, my men were carrying of yours just upped and disappeared."

I must have gave the man an oddball look as he quickly unsheathed his sword and directed it at my chest.

"I would advise you explain this phenomenon, _now_ , Captain, or I will begin to execute each one of your men you say is on board." _Clear enough._

"Ahh- it disappeared?"

The captain paused, "You act surprised. You mean this isn't some futuristic security measure?"

"Cap'n Kirkland!"

One of the pirates who had been holding the torpedo hollered down from the deck of my ship, hoisting yet another torpedo in their arms.

"WHAT THE FUCK IS THE MATTAH WITH YOUR CREW?" The pirate captain looked at me with faint interest.

"What is it?" He called up to his men.

"Cap'n, this is the same... thing- we picked up earlier. It was in the same spot as the previous one... before it... disappeared."

_What?_

Captain Kirkland then walked over to the boarding planks to get a better look at what his crew was motioning at. It was indeed the same torpedo as the previous one, but that didn't explain how it had disappeared into thin air only to return to where it had been originally.

"Well then- I gave you strict orders to loot anything that looks of worth, and you're still standing there spouting nonsense because-?"

"Ah-"

"Get that bloody thing on my ship!"

"Aye aye, Cap'n!" The two pirates then, once again, hoisted up the torpedo, and began to walk down the planks as before, and much like before my breath was caught somewhere between my lungs and my brain with each step they took.

This time, however, all eyes were trained on the two pirates, and just as they began to step onto the wooden pirate ship, as before, the torpedo disappeared in their arms.

"What is this witchcraft?" The pirate captain now had a new fury in his eyes as he rounded on me once more, this time his calm and nonchalant demeanor extinguished rapidly, just as fast as his sword point that now threatened at my neck.

"Woah- watch it!"

"At first I thought to blame the heat rising from the deck to have obscured what I saw, but that time it couldn't have been more obvious. What is it you are doing, and you best explain yourself quickly, Captain." The point of his sword pressed dangerously against my skin. Even the slightest bit of additional pressure, and blood would easily be coating the silver blade.

_What am I suppose to say? Can I play this to my advantage somehow? He mentioned 'futuristic security'. For all he knows that is something we have in my time. Weaponry or tech that is removed without proper authority just disappears the minute it leaves the ship. Sounds plausible if I was in his shoes. The future is foreign to them, after all. I could say anything and they could believe me... oh, this could actually be fun._

"Ahh- right, sorry, I was thrown off by seeing the new tech in action. It's new technology, and is only triggered by someone who does not have the given authority by the captain to remove anything from the ship. A Legend Class cutter, like my ship, isn't often breached by pirates."

The pirate captain gave a smug smirk at this, "I guess that makes us a more formidable match to your futuristic _technology_."

_Dammit, I didn't mean to add to this bastard's already inflated ego._

"Now that we have the answer to this riddle, why don't you give us permission and my men can carry on with their duties."

 _He really thinks I'm giving in that easily!_ "You're a captain. Would you allow others to board your ship without permission, and begin taking whatever it is they like?" I crossed my arms across my chest, "You'll have to do better than that to coax me into allowing your filthy hands on anything on my ship."

The captain laughed. A strong, deep laugh that sounded vaguely familiar yet alien coming from such a familiar face.

"Yes, I am a captain, yet you seem to be forgetting your disadvantage. You are unarmed, and my men have assuredly restrained your crew if they've already begun looting as was directed. From the display you showed earlier I do believe you care for your crew not to see them harmed."

_Dammit, and he's back to threatening the lives of my crew again!_

"Big Bro- I mean, Cap'n Kirkland, sir!" The young voice had caught me off guard as a young boy of no more than twelve came running up along side the scowling captain. The man didn't as much as look at the boy, as the kid sidled up towards him, full of energy and excitement. Completely the opposite reaction one would assume when approaching the Pirate Captain.

Once the boy had gotten closer though, I thought I had swallowed my own tongue.

"Peter?" _Oh shit- don't blurt out names like you know these people!_

The boy quickly looked up at me now. His bright blue eyes and shining blond hair catching the light of the afternoon sun. That young face, features practically akin to his older brother. Those eyebrows being the most prominent similarity. It was as if I was on vacation. Arthur and I would travel to his home in London at least once a year. There we would spend time with his family. This exact Peter in front of me being apart of that family.

"Who are you, and how do you know my name? He's not here to take me back home, is he?" This last question being directed at Arthur.

The man moaned in irritation, _Had he been staring at me?_ "Shouldn't you be below deck?" _Nah- I must have been seeing things._

"I couldn't stay down in the galley after seeing that big ship next to us! You need my help right? I can help fight!"

"You can help by staying put. Back in the galley, Peter." The captain's response was direct, but seemed softer towards the boy. Seems this Arthur has a bit more patience with this world's Peter.

Much like the boy's future counterpart though, Peter was not deterred so easily.

"I'm useless in the galley, Arthur!"

"You're useless here as well."

"Not true! I could help the crew!"

"Help the crew by staying out of their way. You can start by staying out of mine." The captain then pushed past the smaller boy to continue towards the boarding planks where his men from earlier still stood bewildered and awaiting orders.

"But I can help!" The boy mewled as he chased after his older brother. This must have been a common occurrence, as another member of the crew suddenly walked over and easily hoisted the young boy (now kicking and screaming) under his arm and began to head below deck. No command was made, so it must have been a rule amongst the crew. _Ha- too bad my Arthur can't do that in my time._

I then felt a shove at my back, reminding me I was still very much under watch.

"Could ya give me a second? I was just about to follow him." Another shove. _I swear, if I didn't need these assholes..._

"Captain Jones." I approached the man grudgingly as I continued to shoot daggers at the men behind me. _This guy is seriously making faces at me._ "If you would be so kind as to lower your ship's defenses."

"My ship's what-?" _Oh- right!_ "Yes- the defenses... I'm afraid before I relinquish such information, I need to see that my crew is unharmed."

_Yeah- that's right. Your glares aren't going to work on me, pal. I've lived with those glares for years now. Immune. Thank you._

"Very well. Shall we go aboard your ship then?" He motioned to the planks before him before he was quickly stopped by another pirate.

"My pardons, cap'n, but we found no other men aboard this here ship."  
 _  
I'm gunna punch this douchebag if he makes one more face at me- wait..._ "WHAT?" I was practically sprinting up the wooden planks, completely disregarding the precarious way the boards rested between the two ships. At this point, I could care less if they fell as I jumped from them onto the sturdy metal deck of my ship. _No men? I passed by five of them who were unconscious just walking down from the bridge._ I quickly scanned the area. There was no one save the few pirates who had boarded earlier. They stopped and stared at me as I then felt the presence of people behind me.

"Where are they?" I spun around and quickly gripped Arthur's fancy collar, hoisting him up to my eye level. I wasn't about to back down. "There are eighty men in my crew! Where the _fuck_ are they all?"

I felt the barrel of the gun at my abdomen. I knew I was being foolish in my actions. Unarmed as I was, my rash decisions would not get me anywhere with these men. _Dammit- I'm better disciplined than this, but this is all too fucking strange!_ I finally released my grip on the captain.

He stood back up, fixed his collar as if only the wind had disturbed it, and stepped up on the deck along side me. Then, without a word, he simply raised the flintlock and leveled it at my head.

"I take it you needed a little reminder of who is holding the gun?" The steel was further pressed into my skull as I could do nothing but grit my teeth in anger, not just at my predicament, but at my reactions to it.

"My apologies, Captain Kirkland, I'm afraid you've caught me a bit overwhelmed under these circumstances. I'm not accustomed to time travel, nor losing my crew."

There was silence as the pirate Captain seemed to ponder my response. I could only hope he held some sympathy towards me. He seemed to care about his crew to some extent, at least towards his younger brother anyway. Had he been in my shoes, would he have been able to keep his resolve?

The pressure of the weapon was lifted, and I felt myself release the breath I was unaware I had been holding.

"According to my men, there was no one found aboard this ship. Unless your men are holed up behind the iron doors that were found to be locked on the decks below, there is no one." Not once did he look my way as the pistol was returned to it's holster at his side. If he did feel any remorse, it had to have been said through his actions. "Well then-" he turned back around to face me, "seeing as you have no crew to worry about, care to remove those defenses?"

I felt the tip of a sword at my back once again, knowing I had no other option but to comply. Yet, as much of a threat as it was, it was also empty, as they still needed me if they wanted any profit off of my ship.

_If there is no crew for me to worry about getting back home, than my dying here would be for the better. However, that would still leave my ship. I have no idea why those men couldn't remove the torpedo, but I'm sure they could eventually learn something from everything here. Regardless, time would be altered. I need to get back to my time, with my ship, and without them learning anything about it... shit._

"Captain Jones?" His voice was suddenly right next to me, causing me to jump. _Dammit- keep your cool Al._

"Very well then-" I started, clearing my throat as I did, "Computer!" _I've always wanted to do this!_ "This is Captain Alfred F. Jones of the USCGC Adams, Voice Code 4232AlphaCharlie, requesting deactivation of the ship-wide telepor...ometer-" _Sure... that works._ "-defense system."

Silence fell, and all eyes were on me.

"What exactly are you spouting off about, Jones? Do you take me for a fool?"  
 _  
No, I take you for someone who knows nothing about sci-fi._ "Hmm, it should have responded by now. Well- all the systems on the bridge had been unresponsive since my arrival here. Only one way to test it." I looked around the area where I stood and quickly noticed a radio that had been laying on a tarp covered lifeboat. "Try bringing this onto your ship." I picked up the radio and quickly tossed it over to one of the pirates who stood guard behind me.

He fumbled with it, a look of concern lacing his features at the alien device. I couldn't hide my smirk at the man's distress. Seeing someone afraid of something so harmless was amusing.

"Don't worry. It's safe. Just take it down to your ship. See if it disappears like the torpedo earlier." I instructed vaguely.

The pirate looked once at me, and then over at his captain for approval. Arthur nodded so the man, carefully, began to walk back down the boarding planks towards the wooden tall ship.

 _It'll do it again. I need to find some way to buy more time.  
_  
Just as it did before, the radio disappeared from the man's hands the moment he stepped onto the pirate ship. The pirate was spinning around immediately there afterwards to gawk back up at us in bewilderment.

"Hmm-" _Play this right, Al._ "I had a feeling that might happen."

The sword was at my throat again.

"Seriously guys, the sword isn't necessary."

Arthur took mere seconds to close the gap between us. I caught a hint of a spicy cologne this time, his eyes glaring at me through thick lashes as he neared my ear to whisper whatever threat he had planned. His breath tickled my ear sending a a shiver through me body. _Damn, there will be way more vacations in my foreseeable future when I get back.  
_  
"I'll say when it isn't necessary. Now what games are you playing at? I can be patient, but only when it's warranted. Right now," the Captain added pressure to the blade ever so slightly as I felt blood begin to drip down my neck. "-my patience is almost beyond your reach. Would you care to remedy that?" The blade sliced further along, slowly getting closer to my very vulnerable artery.

"Gladly, once you remove your sword, and I can see to repairing what damage there must be to the computer." It was complete bullshit I was spinning, but the tone of my voice seemed to make Arthur withdraw some. I felt the pressure from the blade move away. My hand reluctantly stayed at my side to show I wasn't afraid of the still slowly bleeding cut on my neck. I needed to put on a show now if I were to gather any more time for myself to think. Pulling apart a computer and putting it back together could work at buying me some time. The problem was how much time would I need when I had no idea what happened in the first place?

"Repairing this... computer, should take down your ship's defenses?"

I nodded. _Just keep flying by the seat of your pants, Al._

The pirate captain then sheathed his sword and with a calm hand; very different from his previous abruptness, motioned for me to lead the way.

Whatever way that was exactly was still lost on me.

_Perhaps looking into the consoles on the bridge. Maybe I can get something working that could give me an advantage. Not like they know what anything does or does not do._

"The systems are on the bridge. We can head up there." I began as I turned back to face the bow to climb up to the designated bridge.

_If I could also get the weapon system online, that may give me an advantage to getting rid of these pirates completely._

My thoughts were spinning up possibilities, and before I knew it I was inside the familiar cabin that I had woken up in not but maybe an hour before.

"My God-" It was almost a whisper as I was pulled away from my thoughts by it, quickly bringing my focus to it's source. The captain had found his way to the helm, and his gloved hands tentatively brushed along the mahogany and chrome spokes of the massive wheel. His expression was in complete awe at one of the few objects on my ship that he would come to recognize with familiarity. In a way I was charmed by the man's sudden way he looked over the fine details in the craftsmanship. The compass and other instruments that decorated around the helm itself. The way the sun gleamed off the polished metal.

Arthur finally stopped looking over everything, and slowly, walked up behind it and rested his hands comfortably on the spokes at ten and two. Once there, he lifted his gaze to look out to the endless ocean that stretched past the pointed bow of the cutter. A heavy sigh escaped his lips until the man finally chose to speak.

"This is beautiful."

I couldn't help the smile from breaking out on my face. I knew the feeling. I felt the same way the day I was placed behind that wheel. My own ship. My own crew. Years of training, discipline, and service had all paid off as I stood at the helm of the US Coast Guard's most prized ship of the fleet. It had been a great honor, and I would not allow whatever the circumstance I was in to thwart my hard work, or lose something so valuable to my country.

The other captain continued to stand there silently. Most likely envisioning what great battles he could be forging standing where he stood. Bellowing orders to his men as the massive ship overtook his smaller opponents. Clouds of smoke from cannons all around him. The smells of gunpowder and sweat in the air.

"I wish she was running. I'd let you take her for a spin."

My suddenness in breaking the silence didn't seem to phase the man, as he only smiled and sighed.

"She is a marvel." He gently ran a hand once again over the metal wheel. "To think such a thing exists in this world. In our future."

I smiled again, "A future at peace. One in which buildings touch the sky. Massive iron birds fly men, women, and children across the world in under a day." I paused, "A future where mankind has reached the stars."

At this he turned and finally looked at me. For the first time since I ran into this man. This... possibly identical past life figure of my Arthur, actually looked at me as a person. A reality that was there. That life did not end with any one person's death. That his world now, would become something even greater, even if his own eyes wouldn't see it.

"This-" He patted the helm, "is not meant to be here. Not now." His gaze then lifted back up to my own. Those deep green eyes. Ones I use to look at every morning. That I took for granted. Had it been so long since I'd seen them. The last time we said good-bye. The last time we kissed... and said 'I love you'. Those eyes. They had tears that time. Had I been that selfish? Perhaps I'd been away too long.

"Captain Jones," He began once more, this time however, he pulled off his hat and with a flourish brought it to his chest and bowed before me. It's feathers spilling from it in a graceful arc. "-it would be a great honor, if you would allow my men and I to assist in seeing you and your ship back to your time. Where you can continue to protect and serve this world that we share. You have shown me hope that I believed had been lost. I am in your debt."

I was overwhelmed to say the least, but deeply moved. Just as much as he must have been by my own words. It also pained me. This time in history was brutal. Just as all wars were, but it gave me some hope that this man, after seeing the achievements that will be made, could take that and press on. That wars would end... but the human race would not.

I moved forward and rested a hand on the captain's shoulder. He quickly looked up, surprise across his features, while I held a smile on my own. There would be hope, and the world would carry on.


End file.
